Timescales for data collection
Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education (DLHE) Collection 2010/11 |
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Timescales - stages of the DLHE exercise
Version 1.0 Produced 2011-02-18
This document is designed to guide institutions through the stages of the DLHE exercise. These stages can also be viewed in the DLHE schedule diagram.
Stage One: April Survey (Census date: 18 April 2011)
Stage Two: January Survey (Census date: 09 January 2012)
Stage Three: DLHE data submission (Return date 31 March 2012)
Stage One: April Survey
Arrangements for those who complete their courses between 1 August 2010 and 31 December 2010
This stage details the schedule for the completion of the 18 April 2011 census survey. Full details of the requirements of this schedule are available in the Methodology.
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March 2011: DELIVERY OF POSTAL QUESTIONNAIRES AND TELEPHONE SCRIPTS |
Standard postal questionnaires and telephone scripts are delivered to
institutions for the April survey. It is important that institutions
check their consignment on delivery, as shortfalls cannot be recitifed
later.
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28 March 2011: CONTROL PANEL OPENS FOR S10018A DLHE APRIL ONLINE SURVEY |
Institutions must register to use the April census (see Guidance notes).
This system enables graduates to complete the standard DLHE
questionnaire survey online. Institutions are encouraged to make use of
this facility.
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18 April 2011: CENSUS DATE |
Leavers surveyed in April are those that meet the POPDLHE in Coverage of the record and have Instance.ENDDATE 2010-08-01 to 2010-12-31.
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18 April to 09 May 2011: INITIAL CONTACT |
Institutions are required to make initial contact with all graduates in
the April POPDLHE between 18 April to 09 May 2011. In the period 18
April 2011 to 09 May 2011 the only acceptable method of data capture is
any version of the standard questionnaire, as detailed in the Methodology. For Data protection purposes this should be accompanied by the covering letter/email. In this period the survey should be completed by the graduate only.
The online survey will open at 09:00 on 18 April 2011.
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09 May to 27 June 2011: FOLLOW-UP CONTACT |
During the period 09 May to 27 June 2011 follow-up contact can be made
using any version of the standard questionnaire, and/or the telephone script. Contact can now be made with third parties. Follow-up contact is optional.
Stage Two: January Survey
Arrangements for those who complete their courses between 1 January 2011 and 31 July 2011
This stage details the schedule for the completion of the 09 January 2012 census survey. Full details of the requirements of this schedule are available in the Methodology.
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September 2011: DELIVERY OF POSTAL QUESTIONNAIRES AND TELEPHONE SCRIPTS |
Standard postal questionnaires and telephone scripts are delivered to
institutions for the January survey. It is important that institution's
checks their consignment on delivery, as shortfalls cannot be recitifed
later.
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September/October 2011: POPDLHE LIST |
C10018 POPDLHE list is produced when the 2010/11 Student Record (C10051)
passes the COMMIT-stage validation checks. The list includes those
leavers who should have been surveyed in the April 2011 survey and those
expected to be surveyed in the January 2012 survey. DLHE record
contacts are advised to liaise with colleagues responsible for
submitting student data to HESA, in order to confirm the final version
of the list.
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24 October 2011: CONTROL PANEL OPENS FOR S10018J DLHE JANUARY ONLINE SURVEY |
Institutions must register to use the January census (see Guidance notes).
This system enables graduates to complete the standard DLHE
questionnaire survey online. Institutions are encouraged to make use of
this facility.
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14 November to 25 November 2011: INITIAL CONTACT |
Institutions are required to make initial contact with all graduates in
the January POPDLHE using versions of the standard questionnaire from 14
November to 25 November 2011. In the period 14 November 2011 to 09
January 2012 the only acceptable method of data capture is any version
of the standard questionnaire, as detailed in the Methodology. For Data protection purposes this should be accompanied by the covering letter/email. In this period the survey should be completed by the graduate only.
The online survey will open at 09:00 on 14 November 2011.
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09 January 2012: CENSUS DATE |
Leavers surveyed in January are those that meet the POPDLHE in Coverage of the record and have Instance.ENDDATE 2011-01-01 to 2011-07-31.
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09 January to 09 March 2012: FOLLOW-UP CONTACT |
During this period 09 January to 09 March 2012 follow-up contact can be
made using any version of the standard questionnaire, and/or the telephone script. Contact can now be made with third parties. Follow-up contact is optional.
Stage Three: DLHE data submission
| November 2011 | Validate data locally using validation kit |
| March 2012 |
C10018 data collection opens |
| 31 March 2012 | Return date |
| 8 April 2012 | Commit date |
| 8 April to 6 May 2012 |
Data quality checking period |
| 6 May 2012 |
Last submission and sign-off |
The C10018 validation kit is made available to download from: Validation kits 2010/11 (not yet available).
The kit enables institutions to test their data locally against the INSERT-stage validation ahead of the main collection opening in the Spring.
Institutions are strongly encouraged to use the validation kit as part of their data preparations.
Further details on the checks included in INSERT-stage validation can be found within the field details of the C10018 record description.
A guide to using the validation kit can be found in Help with validation kits. Alternatively please can contact Institutional Liaison (liaison@hesa.ac.uk).
The C10018 collection database opens on the submit site at the beginning of March.
Access and PIN codes for this system will be distributed to DLHE record contacts when the system opens.
| KEY DEADLINE |
Institutions are required to send complete data that has passed INSERT-stage validation to HESA by 31 March 2012.
INSERT-stage validation rules are listed within the field details of the C10018 record description.
A single validation failure will result in no data being imported into the system.
A diagram view of the validation stages for the DLHE return can be viewed at DLHE validation.
Data which fails validation will not be considered to have been returned to the Agency.
Institutions are advised to send complete data that has passed COMMIT-stage validation to HESA by 8 April 2012.
This schedule allows the maximum amount of available time for data quality checking.
COMMIT-stage validation rules can be viewed at (coming soon).
A diagram view of the validation stages for the DLHE return can be viewed at DLHE validation.
Data which fails validation will not be considered to have been returned to the Agency.
A successful COMMIT will generate several reports containing managment information that institutions will need to review to assess data quality. These reports for review are:
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Check documentation | This Excel workbook contains a series of tables representing the submitted data to enable institutions to check that their submission represents their institution as expected. |
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Exception report |
This report details any COMMIT-stage validation errors/warnings triggered by the submission. |
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Frequency counts |
This report counts the data submitted for all records listed by field and valid entry. |
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POPDLHE match report |
This report matches the submitted data against those records held in the POPDLHE file produced during the C10051 Student Record collection. |
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Teaching Quality Information (TQI) |
This report details Teaching Quality Information to be passed to Unistats for display on their website http://www.unistats.com/. |
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Computer Assisted Structured Coding Tool (CASCOT) Comparison Report |
This report provides comparison of the SOC(DLHE) codes generated by CASCOT and those assigned by the institution for records where a job title has been returned in field 10 JOBTITLE. |
Institutions are required to review the reports and to resubmit data in
order to resolve data quality issues. Institutions can contact Institutional Liaison
throughout this period to request their data is decommitted in order to
make adjustments to the submission. The data quality checking period is
an iterative process during which institutions may need to submit,
commit, review and decommit their data several times to ensure the final
submission is credible.
During this period Data Analysts at HESA will also examine data committed by all institutions. If any anomalies are found queries will be raised through the Minerva DQ database. Nevertheless institutions are in a better position to recognise more detailed anomalies within their data, using local knowledge of the intricacies of their own institution. As a consequence institutions are required to either resubmit their data to amend these anomalies, or provide an explanation through Minerva as to why these apparent anomalies are genuine.
Upon satisfactory completion of this process data will be set to credible.
In order to meet obligations for hand-over of data to its customers, HESA needs to receive all data files by 6 May 2012.
As part of the data quality assurance procedures, HESA requires the return to be signed-off by the head or acting head of your institution. This verification offers both the institutions and HESA assurances regarding onward use of the data. Sign-off completes the data collection process.
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On the system your institution's data will be set to credible and a new icon will be made available from where the sign-off form can be downloaded and completed. Once completed, the form should be posted back to HESA at the address in the bar below. Please note that the transaction number on the sign-off form must correspond to that of the data being signed-off. |
Note: Institutions should download and keep copies of all relevant reports that they are likely to need during the year, as it will be necessary as access to the site will be restricted after the collection has closed.
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Onward use of C10018 DLHE record data |
Following the close of the data collection all data submitted will be passed to HESA's Statutory Customers.
Data is also used by HESA in the following ways:
Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Statistical First Release
Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education publication
DLHE Longitudinal Survey
Performance Indicators in Higher Education
heidi
General data enquiries
